440 Elm

440 Elm is an architectural gem built by renowned architect Elmer Grey in 1913 as the First Church of Christ Scientist. It was immediately recognized by the architectural community for as a significant example of Renaissance Revival architecture in a monumental church building. It was part of a burgeoning Christian Science congregation in Long Beach that filled the facility with 1200 worshippers upstairs and 1000 Sunday school participants downstairs on Sundays as soon as it opened. It changed hands in 1989 as it transitioned to the First Christian Church due to the demolition of their historic church building. As one of the few large church structures that survived the 1933 earthquake in Long Beach, it was recognized as a historic landmark by ordinance of the city council in 1990. As of 2022, Bite Catering Couture has embarked on an adaptive reuse of the building as a banquet hall and event space for weddings, corporate and social events. As one of the largest such historic spaces in Southern California, 440 Elm looks to continue a > 100 year role in convening the community around important events and celebrating life's milestones with family and friends.